mattress problems

Dust mites are microscopic organisms that feed on dead skins cells from humans. Just thinking that these living creatures are thriving inside of your mattress is enough to make you drop whatever you are doing and get a real good mattress cleaning. How do dust mites get into a mattress? Is there a danger to the health of people who sleep on a mattress containing dust mites? True facts about dust mites will answer the questions that surround their existence.

Dust mites are more concentrated in the fall and winter months because people seal up doors and windows in the home during this time. It is important to get a regular cleaning of your mattress since the average dust mite mattress contains from 100,000 to 10 million dust mites. The mites thrive in the warm, moist environments that occur when people are in bed. They get into the mattress from dead skin that is shed by all humans; around 1/5 ounces each week. Carpeting and upholstered furniture also contain dust mites. A good look at a sun beam will reveal dust mites happily floating along its shaft munching on dead skill cells along with other indoor air pollutants.

Allergic to Dust Mites?

As unpleasant as this image may be, dust mites are not harmful to most healthy people. In fact, the allergic reaction actually comes from the skin and feces of the mites. Each dust mite produces 20 droppings every day. The American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology reports that about 10 percent of Americans have an allergic reaction from sleeping on a mattress filled with dust mites. Most of these people also have allergic reactions to other substances, such as pollen. Asthma sufferers are also susceptible to reaction from dust mite feces and skin.

Although some people are predisposed to allergy symptoms caused by dust mites, some people develop allergies to the mites after long time exposure. In 2010 the director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Services reported that up to 50 percent of the air in American homes has high enough allergen levels to cause allergic reactions to people are usually non-allergic. This is one reason why it is crucial to have a consistent mattress cleaning even if there are no allergy sufferers in the home.

Dust mites can cause nasal polyps to develop in some people who sleep on a dust mite mattress. Polyps occur when the soft tissue of the lining in the sinus becomes swollen. The tissue expands into the nose forming nasal polyps. Occasionally, polyps will grow large enough to result in breathing problems or affect a person’s sense of smell. Either of these conditions would require medical treatment. Cleaning your mattress on a regular basis reduces the chances of these and other health issues.

Signs that a person has a mattress rich in dust mites include increased allergic reactions or other issues as mentioned above. Homeowners can have their mattress and other furniture tested for dust mites if they are suspected. The good news is that there are several ways to reduce dust mite population in the home. Regular mattress cleaning, whether done by the homeowner or a professional service, is a good line of defense in the fight against dust mite infestation.

Some mattress types tend to be more resistant to dust mites than others. Latex mattresses and some memory foam mattresses like the Tempurpedic are said to be more resistant to dust mites than a traditional innerspring mattress. If you have a new innerspring mattress, you’ll want to cover it with a dust mite resistant cover all of the time. This way, you’ll only need to worry about your sheets and pillows, which can be easily cleaned and rid of dust mites.

Not everyone knows what is sleeping in their bed with them and if they knew, may reconsider sleeping at all. Since the year 2000, pest control companies have reported an over 80 percent increase in infestations of bed bugs in motels, hotels and private residences and most people do not know how to kill bed bugs in a mattress.

In addition to bed bugs, dust mites also set up residence in your beds and dogs and cats can offer their contribution by bringing in fleas and ticks as well. If you suffer from allergies, some of the effects may be due to dust mites in the mattress. Using a dust mite mattress cover can eliminate that problem and can also help keep bed bugs out of the mattress.

All Those Hungry Pests

Using a dust mite mattress cover can help keep them out of your mattress, but bed bugs may be another story. Bed bugs can go about a year without eating so starving them out is not how to kill bedbugs in a mattress. While they wait in the seams of your mattress, they grow hungrier. Unfortunately, they feed at night, when most people sleep, and they can be quick to jump on the first meal that becomes available.

Bed bugs thrive in mattress where history has shown them that a blood meal will eventually be available. A proper mattress cover will likely keep them off the mattress but they can live just about anywhere on or around the bed. Knowing how to destroy bed bugs in a mattress can be beneficial to prevent infestation as well as the irritating bites to which many people are allergic.

Some Facts about Bed Bugs

These bugs are small, about one-quarter-inch long and nearly as wide, they are flat with an oval shape. They can slither into many areas in the bed or bedding, even in some anti dust mite covers, remaining hidden from view and come out at night to feast on nearby warm-blooded animals. Humans are not the only source of food for bed bugs as dogs, cats and any other warm-blooded animal that ventures near could be considered a healthy blood meal. Keeping your mattress encased in a dust mite mattress cover can offer some protection from them hiding in the mattress and contain them if they do.

Knowing how to kill bed bugs in a mattress is one reason many people call in a professional service as soon as they see indications they are present. Others will try many of the powders and sprays available on the market before reaching out for professional help. Portable steam cleaners are one way how to kill bed bugs in a mattress, but if not used properly can cause injury as well as be ineffective. Many of the chemicals sold for residential use are not strong enough to work as well as those used by professionals.

Another method of destroying bed bugs in a mattress is to vacuum the mattress frequently making sure you get into the seams and small spaces. Remove any dust mite mattress cover before vacuuming and get your fingers into the seams and pull them open to make sure you get as many as possible.

If you wake up in the morning feeling stuffy and have trouble breathing it may not be due to a change in the weather or the coming on of a cold. It could be something even more troubling, dust mites. Allergens from dust mites is the number one cause of allergen rhinitis and these unattractive tiny critters, smaller than a grain of sand, can be living in your pillows and blankets without being seen.

How to Protect Yourself if You’re Suffering from Allergies?

If you suffer from allergies, you can take steps to protect yourself from the effects of allergens by using dust mite pillow covers as well as dust mite mattress containment covers. Many of these dust mite pillow covers look like the regular covers, but are made of special material that prevents the allergens from getting through to the pillow. Most are designed for you to use as a decorative pillow case over dust mite covers.

In addition, these covers can also protect you from pet dander and other allergens that accumulate on bedding. Some dust mite mattress and pillow covers use a urethane membrane to block allergens and can be especially useful for children as they are waterproof. However, dust mite covers without membranes are softer and more comfortable.

Depending on the severity of allergies, a dust mite mattress cover should be used with dust mite protective covers for your pillows to offer full protection. How well the covers will stop mites from getting to your pillows and mattresses will depend on the fabric being used. Fabrics have openings in the weave that allows the material to breathe. A dust mite cover should have openings no larger than 2.8 microns, which will block out most dust mites that average about 10 microns. Cat and dog dander averages about 3 microns.

Cleaning the Covers

It’s the tight weave in the fabric that keeps the allergens out, but they do need some care and cleaning to remain effective. In general, dust mite mattress covers will only need cleaned every four months and the dust mite pillow covers should be cleaned in warm or hot water about every two weeks. Although washing instructions may vary slightly by manufacturer, they should be tumble dried on low heat and never used with bleach.

Keep in mind that buying dust mite pillow covers and using a dust mite cover for your mattress will keep any more allergens from accumulating on pillows and mattresses, but will not eliminate what may already be living there. Before putting the covers in place you should vacuum the mattress with a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter. Pillows can be placed in the dryer, without washing them, to help remove existing allergens before placing them in dust mite covers. The heat in most residential driers is not high enough to kill dust mites, but can remove some through the lint filtering system.

Dust mites thrive in a humid atmosphere with 75 to 80 percent humidity, but can not survive when the humidity level drops below 50 percent. They may not present much of a problem in the dry, winter months, but maintaining a dust mite mattress cover all year will reduce the effects dust mites have on your health.

Bed bugs are nasty little creatures. Although bed bugs seemed to be a thing of the past, and were rarely heard of since the 1940’s and 50’s, over the past decade or so, bedbugs have made their return. This is due in large part to the fact that many of the chemicals used 60 years ago to eradicate such pests are no longer available for use.

What Are Bed Bugs

Bed bugs, as can be derived from the name, are parasites that live in bedding and like to show up during the night and feed off of the blood of humans. They are approximately a quarter-inch long and are reddish in color. You will know if your home or hotel room is infested with bed bugs if there are red bites on your skin, and brown bug excrement markings on your sheets as well as on your walls.

Sadly, if you visit a hotel that is infested with these critters, there is a possibility that you can carry them home with you on the sleeve of your shirt or the hem of your pants or blouse. They also can ride home on your luggage as well.

How to Kill Bed Bugs in a Mattress

If you do end up dealing with a bed bug infestation in your bedroom and mattress, it can be difficult to exterminate them altogether. Your best bet is going to be to get rid of the mattress completely, and make sure any new one is fully encased.

However, there are a number of resources online that can be helpful in learning how to kill bed bugs in a mattress.

One of the first things that you will want to do is inspect the room for any areas where bed bugs may be hiding. Vacuum everything thoroughly, including your box spring and mattress. Any linen that may have been infected should be washed in hot water or placed in the dryer for several minutes. Additionally, check the mattress for any holes or tears. If there are openings, then the bed bugs very well may have crawled inside and it may be impossible to get rid of them. You may have to resort to purchasing a new mattress.

Chemicals and Bed Bugs

However, if there are no tears in the fabric, then you can proceed by treating the mattress with an insecticide. Pyganic dust, Temprid SC Insecticide, phantom aerosol, and bedlam aerosols are all possibilities if you’re thinking how to kill bed bugs in a mattress. Apply these with special attention to the folds and seams of the mattress. You can also hire an exterminator to do the work for you, but you will likely spend a lot of money doing so.

Dry Steam Mattress Cleaning

If you don’t like using chemicals in your mattress cleaning, you can also utilize a steam cleaner. The heat from the steam will kill both the bed bugs and their eggs on contact. Be sure to apply the steam to all areas of the mattress including any crevices where the bugs might be hiding. A dry steam cleaning of a mattress is especially desirable as it lets off little moisture, thus reducing your chances of causing mildew growth on the mattress.

Regrettably, even after all of this effort, sometimes the bed bugs may still remain. If you miss any bugs and they lay more eggs, then you will have the same problem all over again. Simply put, be extremely thorough in your mattress cleaning, and keep in mind that these critters are very hard to get rid of.